Display-rack.



PATENTBD FEB. 17, 1903.v

G; A. WEEKS.

DISPLAY RACK.-

ABPLIOATION FILED MAY 1. 1902.

7 N0 MODEL.

' A TTOHNEYS E norms PETERS- oo.. P-om1TH0..wAsum6TuN n c No. 721,113. v PATENTED FEB. 17, 1903. V G. A. WEEKS. Y

DISPLAY RACK.

, APPLIOATION I'ILEDMAY 1, 1902. N0 MODEL. V 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

//v VENTOI? A TZ'OHNE Y S THE Norms Fmnsma, mm'oumm wAsnmumnmx.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE A. WEEKS, OF SHELDON, ILLINOIS.

DlSPLAY-RACK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent 0. 721,1 13, dated. February 17, 1903. Application filetl May 1.1902. seen It.. 105.506. (No model.)

To all whom it may'conce'rn':

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. WEEKS, of Sheldon, in the county of Iroquois and State of Illinois, have finvented a new and useful Improvementin Display-Racks, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in devices forexhibiting lace curtains, portieres, wall-paper, dress-goods, and other articles, its object being to produce a device adapted to support a number of the articles to beexhibited and by means of which any particular or desired article can be brought into view, and also to provide a suitable cover, whereby dust will be excluded from the articles to be exhibited.

To these ends my invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter pointed out and claimed. 1

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the device with cover removed. Fig.2 is a rear perspective of the block. Fig. 3 is a plan View with cover removed. Fig. 4 is a transverse detail section. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the collar attached to upper end of tubular base. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of the arm-guard. Fig. 7 is a detail section of one of the base-standards. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of one of the swinging arms. Fig. 9 is a detail View of the outer end of one of the swinging arms. Fig. 10 is a detail section showing attachment of cover-operating cord.

The base or stand ismade from steel or iron tubing and is'composed of the following parts: the cross-tube A, suitably secured to the base of tube B by a suitable T-joint, and the outer ends of A are secured by T-joints to the tubular standards A,provided at their ends with the downwardly-curved elbows A adapted to rest on the floor. Said elbows may be also supplied with screws Afipassing therethrough and adapted to screw into the floor, and thus securely hold the racks in place.

The upright portion of the stand is a steel or iron tube B of suitable length and is screwed into the ,T- joint at center of base and is stayed or braced by two stay-rods B, extending from the collar B at the upper end of tube B down'to'and through the rear arms of the base portion a short distance from the ends thereof. The upper ends of the stayrods pass through the collar B and areprovided with-solid heads on their ends, and the lower ends of said stay-rods are threaded and pass'through the tubing a short distance from the end, as stated, and are held by a nut screwing on'from the under side, whereby the tension of said stay-rods may be regulated.

The-collar B at the top of the base-tube is movably secured thereto and is provided with a threaded aperture, into'which is fitted a setscrew B A solid rod 0 is fitted to slide in the basetube and can be adjusted and held in said tube by the set-screw before mentioned. The upper end of the solid rod is flattened and has secured to it the square block D of suitable size, said block being provided with a series of holes d, drilled vertically through it, said holes being arranged side by side in a diagonal line from a point adjacent to the front right-hand corner of the block to apoint adjacent to the rear left-hand corner of the same. At the upper right-hand corner of the block is secured the guard E, which consists of a rod bent, as shown, to form the parallel horizontalmembers e c, the connecting member e and the Vertical member 6 extending upwardly from the member 6. The member e is .inserted in a hole bored into the side of the block D, and the vertical member extends upwardly against the front face of the block a short distance above the upper face of the same. Secured to 'the block D ar'ethe rods or arms'F, which are provided at their inner ends with the down Wardly-turnedportions f,

adapted to'fit'in'to the holes (1, said arms being of suitable lengths'to receive a lace curtain or other article to be displayed. The outer ends of said rods, which are preferably of steel, are provided with a small bali f and a collar f and the end or outside rods each have drilled through them just in the rear of the balllor lgnob a horizontal hole f through which afcord G, which will be later described, runs and-passes loosely over andaG'IfQSs the interveningarms. I

The arms F, with the exceptionofi the outsidearm on the right, which is mounted outside the line of the guard, will swing to the center by the upwardly-extending member of the guard E. The arms F, being mounted in the diagonally or obliquely arranged holes d, are made of varying lengths, and their outer ends when all brought together will be substantially in alinement.

A frame H, which is substantially V-shaped with the apex rounded, is held to the block D by means of the downwardly-projecting legs h h, rigidly secured to the rear face of the said block.

The cord G, before mentioned, is secured at one end to the outside left-hand arm and passes over the intervening arms and passes through the outer end of the outside righthand arm and hangs down, being provided at its free end with a suitable knob or handle.

By means of this cord the outer ends of the arms can all be brought together and then swung to the right fiat against the face of the block D. The arms can also he swung in both directions, radiating from the block as a center like the ribs of a fan.

In the curved portion of the V-shaped frame are drilled two holes 7t 71 side by side, through which pass two cords I I, said cords being joined in front of said frame into a single cord 1 and hang in that form downwardly, these cords after passing rcarwardly through the holes h it being then secured to the under side of cover K at its front at 71 and extending rearwardly and pass through two eyesjj, mounted on the upper face of the block D, and again meet as a single cord I and pass downwardly at the rear face of the block D.

A dust-proof cover K, having pendent side curtains K, which meet at the front, is adapted to fit over the frame H, ismade of any suitable material, and of suitable width. To the under side of the cover K at its central portion a piece of the same material K is sewed at its outer edges from the front to the rear of the said cover. The piece K is also sewed or fastened at its center to the under side of the cover from front to rear, thus forming housings within which the arms of the frame H pass. The central seam, securing the piece K to the under side of the cover, is parallel with the edge seams and equidistant therefrom at all points from front to rear, thus affording ample space for the arms of frame H when the cover is pulled either to the front or rear. In Fig. 3 the dotted lines indicate the cover K, the central line being the center seam that secures the piece K to the under side of said cover. In Fig. 4 is shown the position the cover, the piece K and pendent side curtains will assume.

The cords I I are fastened to the under side of the cover K at its front edge, by which means the cover can be drawn over the V- shaped frame by pulling downwardly on the single cord 1. The cover can be withdrawn from the V-shaped frame by pulling on the single cord I at the rear of the block, when the cover will be drawn backwardly over the said frame, being guided and arms of the said frame.

It is of course obvious that the guard E may be placed at the left-hand side of the block, if so desired.

The block D may be made fancy or plain and of wood, metal, or any other suitable material.

The whole device with the exception of the arms may be bronzed or enameled.

I may also vary the construction of my device by using two blocks instead of one, the second block being secured to the face of the first block; but the upper edge of the second block will be lower than the upper edge of the first block or arm-holder, the arm-receiving holes in said second block to be the same size and extending diagonally across the same, as in the first block or arm-holder.

By means of the set-screw the rod to which the block is attached may be adjusted to any suitable height and there securely held.

It will be seen that any one of the arms may be swung on the block so as to bring the article suspended thereon into full view for inspection. It will also be seen that I provide a simple and convenient device for exhibiting various articles, such as lace certains, carpets, rugs, &c. This device is particularly adapted for displaying lace curtains,whereby one or more curtains may be inspected and compared at the same time, thus obviating the troublesome and time-consuming method now in common use of throwing the curtains on a rod one upon the other. By use of my device the curtains are all suspended before the customer and need no handling, thereby avoiding soiling of the same.

By the use of the improved cover the curtains maybe inclosed and the dust and dirt excluded.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. A display-rack comprising a block secured to a support, said block provided with a row of openings or sockets in its upper face disposed in an oblique line from a point adjacent to one corner to a point adjacent to the diagonally opposite corner, a series of arms of varying length provided with pivots adapted to fit and swing in said row of sockets, and an upwardly-extending guard adjacent to the end of the block, said guard being adapted to limit the inward swing of the arm pivoted adjacent to that corner.

2. A display-rack comprising a block secured to a suitable support, arms of varying length pivotally secured to the upper face of the said block in a diagonally-disposed line, a superposed V-shaped frame secured to said block above the swinging arms, a cover provided with housings slidably securing the cover to the superposed frame, and means for sliding the cover on the frame.

3. A display-rack comprising a block secured to a suitable supporting-base and prosliding on the vided with a diagonal row of holes in its upper face, arms pivotally held in said holes, a guard secured adjacent to one corner of said block and projecting above the upper face thereof, the outside arm adjacent to this corner being located outside of the upwardly projecting portion of said guard, and a cord rigidly attached to the outer end of the opposite arm and passing over the intervening series of arms and through an opening in the outer end of 'the outside arm at the guard side of the block, whereby the outer ends of the arms may be drawn together and swung on the arm-carrying block.

4:. A display-rack comprising a tubnlar'base, a block adjustably supported in said baseand provided with an oblique series of openings in its upper face, an upwardly-extending guard secured adjacent to one of the front corners of the block and projecting above the upper face thereof, a series of arms pivotally held in the oblique row of openings, one outside arm being located beyond the upwardly-projecting guard adjacent to that cornerla coverframe superposed above the swinging arms and rigidly attached to the block, a cover slidably secured on said frame, and cords attached to front of said cover and passing forwardly, guides in thefront of the cover-frame through which the cords pass, said cords also extending rearwardly, guides secured to the supporti ng-block through which the cords also pass, whereby the said cover may be drawn forwardly to cover the frames and arms, and drawn rearwardly to uncover the frame and arms and permit said arms to swing in either direction.

5. A display-rack comprisingasuitable supporting-base, a block vertically adjustably held in said base, and provided on its upper face with a row of openings extending from a point adjacent to one front corner to a point adjacent to its diagonally opposite rear corner, a series of arms pivotally mounted in said openings, an angular cover-frame secured to said block and projecting forwardly over the series of pivotal arms, a cover slidably held to said cover-frame, and provided with side curtains, eyes or openings arranged at the front of the cover-frame, eyes secured to the arm-supporting block, cords secured to the front of the cover and passing forwardly and rearwardly through the said eyes.

6. Adisplay-rack comprising a suitable base, a block adj ustably secured to said base, said block being provided on its upper face with an oblique row of openings, a series of arms of varying lengths fitting in and adapted to swing in said openings, a wedge-shaped coverframe consisting of diverging side bars rigidly secured at their rear' ends to the armcarryi'ng block, a cover provided with housings on its under face adapted to slide on said wedge-shaped frame, and means attached to the cover for moving the same forwardly and rearwardly on the frame.

7. A dis play-rack comprising a base consisting of a tubular vertical upright having secured to its lower end a cross-tube, tubular standards secured to the outer ends of said cross-tube, and provided with openings near their rear ends, a collar secured to the upper end of the tubular upright and provided with vertical openings at its rear, diagonal bracerods secured at their upper ends in said openings and at their lower ends in the openings at the rear of the base-standards, a rod slidably mounted in said upright, and adapted to be adjustably held therein, a block secured to the upper end of said rod and provided with a row of diagonally-disposed openings in its upper face, a series of arms provided with downwardly-projecting ends adapted to be inserted in said diagonal row of openings, an

angular vertical guide secured at one end of the block adapted to limit the movement of one of the outside arms, and means for securing the said rack to the floor, or other base. GEORGE A. WEEKS.

Witnesses:

GEo. O. HATHAWAY, A. H. TEDFORD. 

